Maybe It Was Fate

Chapter Twenty-Eight

As the weeks went by, the bruise on my leg started to fade and I did everything I could to avoid Madison and when I couldn't, I just ignored her. Jess continued to drift away and hadn't said anything to me in over a week.

When lunch came, I decided to approach her. She was standing at her locker, pulling books out.

"Hey Jess," I start, with a warm smile to greet her.

She flinches slightly as if my voice startled her. "Oh hey Allie."

"I wanted to talk to you." I say, waiting for her to respond.

"About?"

I internally roll my eyes at how blunt she's being.

"Well... You've been really distant lately. Have I done something?"

Her eyes train on something behind me and then widen slightly. "Jess...? What's wrong?"

She bows her head, letting her hair cover her face like she's curtaining herself from the world.

"Jess just talk to me please. I miss you and I want to help you with whatever's wrong."

"I can't talk to you here. I'm sorry. Meet me after school at the back of the school."

I nod in agreement and head off to the cafeteria. I approach the table where Jakob and Ethan are sitting side-by-side giggling at something on a phone. Emma and Hannah are just rolling their eyes at the boys.

"Hey guys, what's up?" I greet them all, sliding in beside Ethan.

"Hey Allie, check this out."

He shoves the phone in my face, the front camera on me. I frown for a moment, not understanding what was so funny, until my face goes all distorted and gross. The boys start cackling at the filter they put on me.

The girls shake their heads and crack a smile. "They're equivalent to five-year-old children." Emma giggles.

"Agreed." Hannah states, kicking one of them under the table.

"God Snapchat totally upped its game," Ethan laughs, gasping for air.

"You're crazed." I tell them.

"You're just jealous," Jakob retorts sliding across onto another filter.

The laughing starts up all over again. Aiden and Nicole come through the doors of the cafeteria, heading in our direction. Emma and Hannah slide over to make room for them.

"Have you guys seen Chris?" I question, when I realise he hasn't come to the table yet.

They both shake their heads and shrug.

"I haven't seen him all day." Nicole says, Aiden nodding in agreement.

Maybe he's sick today or he's doing school work, I think to myself.

I don't see Chris for the rest of the day, but that's not what's on my mind. My thoughts are clouded by what's wrong with Jess. Why doesn't she talk to us anymore? Why won't she just tell us what's wrong?

Thoughts like these continue to play through my head, making me more and more curious by the minute.

With my bag slung around my shoulder, I head towards the back of the school. The sports shed is the only thing around at the back of the school so it's the only place I can think she'd want to meet.

As I speed up my pace and get closer to the small shack, I hear voices. A male and a female and they're eerily familiar.

Suddenly, my stomach drops. I press my back against the side of the shed and listen for a moment.